Leading industry award marks year of growth for Welsh artisan food producer

One of Wales’ top independent, fine-food producers has marked a year of rapid growth by winning two of the UK’s leading food industry awards.

Despite the industry being majorly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Bedwas-based Capital Cusine has grown to 10 members of staff, increased its production space to 6,000sq foot and seen its order book double.

The remarkable year was capped off by winning two coveted Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food, for its Sweet Chilli Asian Glaze and its Carrot, Orange and Ginger Relish. The great taste awards are the food and drink industry’s premier awards, with those achieving star ratings being accepted worldwide as the best in the business.

Capital Cuisine is run by renowned Chef and former President of the Culinary Association of Wales, Colin Gray, along with his son Daniel. The business specialises in creating restaurant-quality foods that people can enjoy at home.

The business sells its products wholesale to select buyers, such as Castell Howell and has a very successful event catering service catering for the National Eisteddfod and the Royal Welsh Show to name but a few. It’s due to these trusted relationships that Managing Director Colin Gray said the business has been able to grow despite a turbulent year for the industry.

Colin said: “It’s been a challenging few years for the food, drink and hospitality industry, and we’ve seen that all along the supply chain, be it through the availability of ingredients, or delivery of goods. It’s something our wholesaler customers have felt the brunt of from other suppliers, but it’s also why they relied more heavily on us.

“The feeling in the industry was that the food producers that were strong enough to survive this would come out stronger, and that’s certainly something we are pleased to have achieved. We firmly believe this was due to our model of working closely with our wholesalers, our select independent retailers and championing quality Welsh food. Wherever we can, we source locally, and the relationships we have built with our customers meant they knew we could handle increased orders, and crucially, deliver them on time”

“We’re excited by the future and thanks to our strong foundations, are looking forward to continuing to grow sustainably, helping more people to enjoy quality Welsh food at home.”